Sony Xperia Tablet Z now on sale around the world, having attracted record-breaking pre-orders

Sony looks to have another mobile winner on its hands, as following the sales success of its Xperia Z smartphone, it has reported record-breaking pre-orders for the Xperia Tablet Z, which goes on sale around the world today. Although Sony never confirmed the estimated 4.6 million sales of the Xperia Z phone, it has shouted about the Xperia Tablet Z’s pre-orders, but it’s still being cagey about the exact figures.

In the press release announcing the global availability of the new Android tablet, Sony says it has, “received the largest number of pre-orders of any Sony tablet to date.” It follows the considerably less popular Tablet S, with its quirky “folded magazine” style design. The Xperia Tablet Z is considerably less quirky, but more modern and attractive.

Initially put up as a pre-order in the UK at the start of April, there was some confusion over the launch date, as early buyers were initially told to expect a mid-April delivery. This was later clarified and revised to the end of May. In the U.S., pre-orders began at the end of April, and a May 24 date was provided for shipping, so it’s good to see Sony beat its early estimates.

The Xperia Tablet Z has a 10.1-inch, 1920 x 1200 pixel touchscreen, and is powered by a 1.5GHz, quad-core Snapdragon processor with 2GB of RAM. Android 4.1 Jelly Bean is installed, and while it’s not quite as obscured as on a Samsung tablet, does have its fair share of unique software features. The tablet also has a pair of camera – 8-megapixels on the rear, and 2-megapixels on the front – plus NFC, an Infra-red blaster, and the choice of Wi-Fi-only or Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity. Prices start at $500, and you can check out our hands-on report from Mobile World Congress here.